Seducing Sasuke?
by InoSakuShine
Summary: It's a race, and the stakes are high. Whoever can seduce Sasuke first wins! Needless to say, Naruto and Sakura have been making Sasuke very uncomfortable-and he can't figure out why.
1. The 'Art' of Seduction

Author's Note: I've never had trouble coming up with a title before, but for this one I just couldn't come up with one I was satisfied with! So, the title might change a few times, please try not to get too confused!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto... and be thankful I don't. Things would just be so wrong.

**Seducing Sasuke?**

**Chapter One: The 'Art' of Seduction**

"You know it's true!" Naruto said in a sing-song voice, tagging along after the _royally_ pissed off kunoichi.

"_Naruto_!" Sakura cried in frustration and whipped around, threatening to close those bright blue eyes, _permanently_. After a few seconds and an intense staring contest, Naruto decided he couldn't resist declaring his theory for the upteenth time.

"Sasuke's gay!" He sang loudly, proud of the anthem he had created. Then Sakura's fist connected with the side of his skull in protest of those two words.

"IS NOT!" She roared defiantly. For the duration of the morning the blonde nuisance had dedicated himself to following Sakura and insisting Sasuke was gay. He had been trying unsuccessfully to persuade the girl after Sasuke had rejected her for the _third_ time that day. Ever since the team disbanded for their lunch break this had been his mission, and it wasn't long before he could feel the notion of his theory start to creep into Sakura's fragile mind.

"It's true!" he whined, rubbing his head gingerly. "Why do you think he would reject _you_? It's because he's gay. And I'm almost positive that... that..." Sakura's eyes narrowed in suspicion as Naruto leaned over to whisper secretively in her ear. "_He has a crush on me_."

"NARUTO!" The boy found himself, once again, hitting the dirt. "He is not! I mean, you? _You_? I'll see it when I believe it!" Naruto pouted on the ground, holding his throbbing head, which doubled as proof that his words were impacting her.

"_Hmm_... Well, I have a bet for you," he said and smirked. "Come on, Sakura! Just hear me out."

"What is it?" She sighed dejectedly.

"If I can prove Sasuke likes me, you have to go on a date with me! If he doesn't, and it turns our he likes girls after all, I'll stop trying to get you to like me!"

Sakura opened her mouth, then closed it. A flourescent light bulb sparked into life above her head; the prospect of living a love life Naruto-free danced around in her head.

"So, basically you're saying that who ever seduces Sasuke wins?" She asked, a smile tugging at the end of her lips. Naruto widened his eyes and made a sour face.

"If that's what I have to do..." he mumbled. "Yeah! I'm going to seduce Sasuke and then I'll have you for myself!" The girl burst out laughing.

"I-I-If you say so. It's _on_!" Naruto held out his hand, staring her in the eye. "If you're serious about this," Sakura said, and reached out their hand. The deal was made once they officially shook on it. Together they bought their food and headed back to eat lunch at the training grounds, thoughts and plots running through their heads.

"Naruto? _Why_ are you eating like that?" Sakura demanded.

Naruto happened to be sitting right next to her at the rickety little picnic table Team 7 was currently eating lunch on, waiting for Kakashi to return. Naruto was fixated on gazing deeply into what _had_ to be Sasuke's eyes. He was _staring_ into his eyes and _slowly_ feeding _long strands of ramen _into his mouth, one at a time, _sucking_ them in. When it dissappeared into his mouth he licked his lips smoothly, never taking his eyes off the raven haired boy.

"Like... what?" Naruto said innocently. Sakura aimed a sharp kick at him from under the table, causing him to jump and hiccup. She glanced over at Sasuke, who, after numerous but futile glares, was reduced to avoiding all eye contact with his blonde comrade whatsoever.

_Oh, no you don't,_ Sakura thought furiously, so she seized her chopsticks and began playing the same game. She stared fixedly at Sasuke, and began feeding noodles into her mouth, the licking the bare chopstick. She narrowed her eyes into a lewd look that she willed Sasuke to look at.

Unfortunatly, it only took a few more seconds for the Uchiha to pick up his lunch and walk away to a more remote area. they couldn't tell if he know what they were up to, but chances were he just thought they were being annoyingly ravenous.

**A Half An Hour Later**

Kakashi left. He left to run an errand, and left them to train. He left them with the pathetic excuse thath he thought he left the water in his appartment running, when in reality it was sweltering hot and he probably didn't feel like staying outside.

"It-is-so-_hot_," Naruto groaned, and stretched out his arms. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and he peered around for any sign of shade. Coincidently, his eye caught Sakura's.

The spark in her eye ignited his own forgotten determination. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Sasuke, panting from just having performed some fire jutsu. Slyly, he yawned conspicuously and grabbed the bottom of his shirt. He yanked it up and over his head, _slowly_, before completely pulling it off. He eyed with satisfaction the sweat glistening on his toned abs.

_Yup, this should do it,_ he thought to himself.

_The NERVE!_ Sakura cracked her knuckles, catching the blonds attention. Smirking, her proceeded to train, and work up a sweat. _Come on Sakura.. You, you can outdo THAT!_ What she did next was what she would call, _risque_. She pulled off her long top to reveal nothing but shorts, a thin stomach, and a sports bra Ino had given her.

It took a few seconds for Naruto to notice that she had stripped; when he did finally notice, his eyes bulged out of their sockets and his jaw dropped. She proceeded to stretch out, flaunting her fit body.

By this time, Sasuke turned around to ask Naruto if he wanted to spar, only to realize both his teammates were half naked. Lately, he couldn't shake off the feeling that they were both being even more freaky and annoying than usual.

_No, it's hot out, that's all,_ he thought. He tried hard to divert his eyes, but he noticed it anyway; Naruto's own muscular frame made him feel self concious. He put a hand on his stomach. Yeah, he knew he looked better than him, but he was only satisfied when he was _ten_ times better. And for _Kami's sake_, someone should tell Sakura to put her top back on before Naruto slips in his own collective puddle of drool.

"Hey, _Sasuke_!" Sakura called, determined to beat Naruto at his own game. "Can you help me for a second?" Sasuke turned his head and studied her.

"Have Naruto help you," he called back shortly. A vein pulsed on the side of her head, and Naruto cheered silently. She formed her lips into a cute pout.

"Please? I just want to get stronger..."

Sasuke made a small sound of skeptism. "You'll never get stronger if you depend on others to help you all the time." Her jaw nearly dropped as she was, once again, completely such down in classic Sasuke style. She could hardly dare to look at the expression on Naruto's face, but she did.

She turned to the blonde, who mouthed the words, "_One-hundred percent gay."_ And she lost it.

Sakura was in the process of charging over to give Naruto a good beat down when suddenly, something beat her to it. She watched, confused, as the boy just crumpled in front of her, completely collasping. Her sudden charge faltered and she stood, baffled.

"Naruto?" She called.

_What he collasped from exhaustion?_ She thought, and noticed Sasuke approaching.

"What happened?" He asked.

"I don't know! Is he okay?" The two bent down beside their fallen teammate, who groaned and stirred. His blue eyes fluttered open.

"Naruto, are you okay?" asked Sakura, genuinely concerned. He was shirtless but still drenched in sweat.

"Uh, I don't know. I think I overdid it. I just need some shade," Naruto replied, his voice slightly hoarse. He propped himself on his elbows and tried to get up, but lowered himself back to the ground with another groan.

"Idiot," Sasuke muttered, and offered him a hand. Taking it, Naruto pulled himself up, and slipped his arm over Sasuke, who supported him. Slowly, the raven haired boy helped his companion over to the shade, which was quite some distance away. Naruto frequently stumbled, leaning against Sasuke.

At the last second, Naruto cast a look over his shoulder, where Sakura was still standing. And he winked.

_HE. IS. DEAD._

**A few minutes later**

"Thanks," Naruto muttered gruffly as soon as the trees shaded him from Sakura's menacing glare. Sasuke set him at the table they previously had lunch at. He heard no reply. Once he tore his eyes from spying on Sakura, he was a little suprised to look up to see they dark haried boy staring coldly at him.

"What's with you?" Sasuke asked him coldly, the condescending aura in his eyes boring down on him.

"Nothing," Naruto said with an air of distraction. "Hey, do you want to spar tomorrow?" Sasuke raised one eyebrow in suspicion at the blond's eratic behavoir. One minute he was passing out on the ground, the next requesting more training.

"Yeah... That's what I was going to ask you before you _collasped_," he said, emphasizing the last word to add the a hint of an implied insult; such was the recipe for Sasuke's laguage. But Naruto already knew this. He shrugged it off and focused on his goal.

"So around six?" He asked, more attentive.

"Sure..." Sasuke didn't continue his interrogation, and didn't even time even if he wanted to, because Sakura burst in the scene. Her face was flushed when she marched up to them.

"Okay you two! You've had enough time... " She huffed, never completing her sentence. "How are you _feeling_, Naruto?"

"A lot better since Sasuke sat me here," the boy answered, a mischievious smirk playing on his lips.

"I bet," she spat. Naruto eyes wandered below her face, and he wondered why she had put her clothes back on. Maybe it wasn't doing it for Sasuke, but it was sure entertaining _him_. "I've had enough training. Kakashi-Sensei isn't coming back, and it's been three hours. Let's just leave."

The three split up, the day's occurences weighing heavily on their minds. Well, at least Sakura's.


	2. CPR

Another update! I want to thank everyone who reviewed, especially long, contructive reviews! You have no idea how motivating they are! Thanks so much.

* * *

**Chapter 2: CPR**

The next day was as hot as the last, so Team 7 didn't mind too much when they learned their assignment was to clean up the beach. It gave Kakashi the perfect opportunity to lay back, simultaneously acquiring the tan he knew those female ANBU loved _and_ catching up on some Icha Icha (And later when he took off his mask he woud discover one _twisted _tan line).

Each teammate was completely drenched with sweat. Heat waves were rising from the sand and baking their skin either golden brown or tomato red. Sakura was suffering from dehydration; she was now standing on the dock, staring into the water with a dazed look.

Naruto paused to look at the spectacle, a funny haze creeping in the corners of his vision due to mild heat exhaustion. He noticed her lagging posture that seemed to lean foward with every second.

And then _splash_, she fell full frontal into the green blue ocean that wasn't even all the way cleaned yet.

"Wow Sakura, swimming doesn't seem like such a bad idea," Naruto said, taking a few steps foward. His head was still in a fog, and he reached behind his back for a waterbottle he secured to his pack. Sasuke, on the other hand, was standing rigidly at the shore line. A few seconds passed and the girl, he noticed, didn't surface.

He cursed, ran to the dock, and dove in. Naruto's eyes widened and he splashed water from the bottle over his head.

"Is she...?" Alarmed, he ran to the dock. A mess a wet hair broke the surface over the water, both black and pink. "Sakura!" he exclaimed, and was about to dive in as well.

"Save it, I already got her," Sasuke snapped, and dragged her to the dock. He handed the unconcious girl over to the blonde, who gently layed her down. Dripping wet, Sasuke slimbed over the edge of the pier and examined her.

Some miniscule part of Naruto's brain told him it was all a ploy to get Sasuke's attention, but his heart wouldn't let him let go of the image of his precious Sakura drowning in sea water.

"She-_unconcious_-she-_CPR_!" Naruto stuttered dropping to his knees.

_Okay,_ The _very_ concious Sakura thought, _Any second now Sasuke is going to give me CPR and-Oh My God! His lips-they're touching mine-Oh My God! _She opened her eyes to capture the impossible moment.

"AH! NARUTO!" she screamed and bolted upright. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" The confused blond jerked backwards.

"Saving your life!" He exclaimed. Sakura stared from him, to Sasuke, who was simply staring.

Her eyes screamed, _Why? Why not you, Sasuke, why?_

And his: _As if._

"Be _careful_, Sakura. If you can't handle the heat, stay off the beach," Sasuke said shortly in a scolding manner, no joke intended. Calmly, he left.

"Sakura, was that a clever trick so you could try to seduce Sasuke?!" demanded Naruto, clearly upset. The girl sighed, planted both hands on the dock and stared out into the unpromising sunset.

"No Naruto, no it wasn't." _It wasn't clever. I should have known Naruto would be the one try and help... Ugh._

Next time, _oh_, next time.

**AFTER THE MISSION ENDED**

"Uh, good job. See you guys tommorow." After Kakashi bid his farewells he became engulfed in a plume of white smoke, and disappeared to who knows where. Sakura, for one, was glad he disbanded so quickly. She was too depressed about the earlier events to even bother chasing Sasuke right now. No, right now she decided, she would go home and rest. Tommorow woudl be a new day.

Taking a deep breath, she accepting these facts peacefully and began to be on her way.

"Bye, Sasuke," she said, and added as almost an afterthought, "Naruto."

There was a small "hn," and footsteps.

"Bye Sakura," said Naruto. "See you later, Sasuke. Don't forget: Six." And then, the peaceful, accepting state of mind Sakura was just previously in froze.

_Hold UP_, She thought, the world around her perfectly still. _What does he mean see you later at six?_ She whipped around to face her teammates retreating back, dawning a sickly sweet smile.

"Oh, what are you guys doing at six?" She asked innocently.

"Taking care of some _business_," Naruto said nonchalantly. Unfortunatly for Sakura, she was too paralyzed to remember to say anything coherent. She only watched as the two boys went their seperate ways, leaving her to wallow in the mysterious words.

_SASUKE CAN'T BE GAY!_ She cried inwardly and began hyperventilating. _Wait. Don't have a nervous break down... But why didn't Sasuke say anything? Business, what the hell is 'business?' What was that supposed to mean?_

_THATS IT! This... means... WAR._

LATER THAT NIGHT

As promised, there had been a wild sparring match between Sasuke and Naruto, and it threatened to careen out of control if they didn't stop soon. Eventually, they did decide to stop, only because at that point they were evenly matched and they had traning tommorow so they didn't want to stay out too late.

"Hey," Naruto called, hesitance in his voice. He was debating with himself over his latest scheme. "Do you.. wanna go for ramen? I mean, the deal was if you won, I'd buy you ramen. If I won, you would buy me ramen. So it's kind of like we both won, right?"

He was sick with himself just for trying to get Sasuke to go out to eat with him. Every word was another drop of poision in his stomach, but another step closer to Sakura.

"No... First of all, neither of us won," Sasuke said shortly. _What IS his problem?_ The odd behavoir of his teammates was baffling him to the point of distraction, and Sasuke... Did. Not. Like. Distractions. _Maybe I should go.. Just to see what the hell they're up to.._ "And second of all, we never made that bet."

"Come on," whinted Naruto half heartedly.

"Fine. But you're paying for yourself," Sasuke said, leaving Naruto speechless. He didn't think it would actually work.

_I.. I have a date with Sasuke?_

While date would definetly not be Sasuke's word of choice, he still found himself sitting with Naruto at Ichiraku's, ordering the bowl of ramen that he was sure he wouldn't like. In fact, he _hated_ ramen. He had to remind himself why he was even torturing himself in the first place.

"Naruto," he said coldly, folding his hands under his chin. "What's going on?"

Naruto perked up and turned his full attention on the boy. He cocked his head to the side.

"What do you mean?" he asked innocenty, batting his eyes once or twice. Big blue eyes stared at Sasuke, holding open a net and waiting for his small, shriveled heart to jump in.

Little did he know, Sasuke had no such heart that would dive into any kind of net. Especially one held by Naruto.

"Lose the act, Naruto. I don't know what you and Sakura are up to, but leave your personal problems at home. I don't need any distractions, and if you two are going to be distractions you won't be a part of Team 7. Got it?" He got to his feet and pushed in his chair.

_**SASUKE YOU IDIOT!!**_ _**WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO KICK US OFF THE TEAM? HOW COULD SAKURA LIKE THIS GUY?!**_

Deep breaths. Big, deep, long, _patient _breaths.

"Nothing is going on," Naruto said in the calmest voice he could muster. He was talking to Sasuke's retreating back. Then, he added in a loud voice, "_Unless you want there to be."_ He swore he saw Sasuke freeze for a moment. He almost looked back-almost, but instead continued on his way.


	3. NO Touchy!

Hello everyone, again I'd like to thanks all who reviewed! It means a lot. Before we commence, I have a few important things that need to be addressed.

**A/N:**

**1)** **Name Change**? I told you in the beginning that I was uncertain about the title of this fic, and now I _think_ I thought of a better one. I'm hesistant about changing it because I don't want to confuse anyone, so please tell me what you think! I was thinking about instead of Seducing Sasuke, how about **The 'Art' of Seduction**. So yeah, tell me which you think is better.

**2) NaruSaku?** Many of you have raised questions about pairings, more specifically if this was going to turn out to be a NaruSaku. One part of me doesn't want to give away my thought process in case I ruin the story, but another part of me wants you to know it is as much of a question to me as it is to you! When I first started the fic I had no plans for any pairings at the time, I was just going to go with the flow. As I started thinking about the future, and the ending of the fic, I thought,_ NaruSaku would fit the storyline perfectly_!

But here's my problem: I _detest _NaruSaku with a _passion_. Just because I hate something, or a pairing, doesn't mean I won't write it. I've never had a problem writing a NaruHina in the past, although I used to dislike it. The thing is, I'm a die hard SasuSaku fan, so in every other fic I write, even if I don't pair them, I keep the possibility open. So I really have no clue if I will pair Naruto and Sakura, or not.

But rest assured, there shall be **no NaruSasuSaku** or any kind of odd triangle. Sorry. It's possible I'll pair Naruto and Sakura, and it's possible I'll pair nobody and leave the possibilities open; that's what I usually do, leave room for imagination. Whatever I do, don't worry. I think I can satisfy you readers.

**And 3)** Be ever so proud of me that I wrote this. Despite my severe depression stemming from the fact that my vacation has been canceled, I finished the chapter anyway! And sorry about the extremely long author's note, I never did one this long before! I'll stop now, if any of you are still reading...

* * *

**Chapter 3: NO Touchy!**

As usual, Team 7 was to meet up on the bridge. However, this wasn't exactly usual-it was a race. Both Naruto and Sakura wanted to squeeze in some _alone time_ with Sasuke that morning, but what they ended up getting was alone time with eachother. It was Naruto's greatest accomplishment to get up before the birds did, jogging to the bridge just to see _Sasuke_ of all people.

Only to realize Sakura was there, and Sasuke wasn't.

_Damn, _thought Naruto, but didn't really mean it. Time alone with Sakura was better than Sasuke any day.

"Morning, Sakura!" he called, and joined her on the opposite side of the rail.

"Don't _'morning'_ me," she grumbled, crossing her arms.

"Huh? What's wrong?" the blond asked, generally concerned. Sakura snorted and clenched her fists.

"_So... _What did you and Sasuke do yesterday?" She asked, choking out the words in the most casual voice she could muster.

"Nothing special," Naruto replied.

"What do you mean nothing?" She snapped, looking at Naruto's face. His expression slowly transformed as the innocent look on his face evaporated; a smirk graced his lips and his eyes narrowed.

"You think I'm getting to him, don't you?" He asked cheerfully, causing her to turn red.

"NO!" She said indignantly. "You-you think you're so _smooth_-" the girl began, but her voice died down once they both heard the familliar patting of footsteps coming up the bridge, and they both knew there was no way in Konoha was it Kakashi. Immediatly the scene changed as the two shifted positions; Sakura slung herself over the rail in a 'casual' pose, twisting a short lock of pink hair with her fingers, and Naruto unzipped the front of his jacket and leaned against the rail, both hands behind his head.

As Sasuke approached, they both stared at him.

"Good morning, Sasuke," they both said simultaneously in husky voices, and the outcome was a bit scary. Sasuke didn't reply, just continued walking to the far end of the bridge and settled himself as far away as possible.

An impulse arose in Sakura, and she decided it was a good one.

"So Sasuke, Naruto told me you two had a good time last night!" she blurted loudly, causing Naruto to nearly fall over the rail.

_Sakura!_ Naruto whined inwardly. The implications of her statement made him cringe, but he knew what she was up to.

"Good time," Sasuke repeated in a monotone voice, not even bothering to cast a dirty look Naruto's way (and not that kind of dirty look!). "If that's what you call our sparring match. Personally, I think it was pathetic."

"HA!" Sakura said loudly, pointing smugly to Naruto. If her outburst was odd, Naruto's was worse.

"My _performance_ was not pathetic!" Naruto shouted back, only realizing how odd the expression sounded after it had exited his lips. They all took a moment to reflect and wince.

"Hey guys!" said a cheerful voice. "I would usually apologize for being late, but I don't think I'm sorry this time," Kakashi said, appearing for the last scene. Sakura smirked, Naruto hastened to explain, and Sasuke was nearly reduced to slapping a hand on his head. It took only a few seconds for the man to disregard the drama and move on to their next mission.

**A Few Hours Later...**

The bright side of delivering a a secret scroll to a small village out of town and running into assasins and bandits along the way only to deliver the scroll and find out it was really just a family recipe, was that you got treated to a nice dinner afterwards.

And meanwhile, Naruto and Sakura continued their relentless attacks on Sasuke's dignity. That is to say-they were really taking it to the next level. It was one thing for Sakura to throw flirtatious looks his way, Sasuke thought, but it scared the hell out him him whenever Naruto put a hand on his shoulder whenever he talked to him.

This dinner was a relaxing reward for their hard work. Kakashi, Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke sat in a small elegant room while plates of food were laid out to them. Of course, Sakura ensured the seating arrangement placed herself next to Sasuke, as did Naruto, and Sasuke was wedged between te both of them. Kakashi sat at the far end of the table, super-secretive as he ate with his mask on. No one questioned how it was achieved.

On the opposite side of the young teens was the head of the family restaraunt and his son. While everyone had polite conversation, only Sasuke noticed some small details that aggravated him to no end.

Like how Sakura's shoulder kept bumping against his, and Naruto's chair kept inching closer and closer to his own.

Sakura leaned backwards inconspicuously to catch Naruto's eye.

'_Back off,' _she mouthed.

"So what do you kids do back in your village?" asked the owner, continuing the forgotten conversation.

"Oh, just missions, community service, you know," Sakura said diplomatically, and laughed.

"And when we're not doing that sometimes we go out and eat ramen!" Naruto said. "Team bonding, you know." He laughed too. They were both laughing feverishly, and Kakashi thought it was kind of freaky.

"Right, Sasuke?" they said simultaneously.

As they said it, under the table, they both put a hand on his leg.

Sasuke jerked so suddenly that he hit the table. He pushed his chair back. "_Excuse me_," he bit out and fled from the room.

"What's up with him?" asked Kakashi. They both shrugged, kicking themselves internally.

When Sasuke saw them again, he was going to slice them open and feed their entrails to a pack of wild boars. Graphic and disgusting yes, but what also sickened him was the fact that they thought they could even touch him. The moment they pulled the little stunt it was as if the punched a big, shiny red button in his head and set off the alarm.

And this time, he could have sworn it was in a_ flirtatious _manner! Sakura never crossed that line before... and _Naruto_?

He gagged.

Wait... He was imagining things. Flirting? That coudln't be the reason. Maybe their hands just slipped... At the same time?

Sasuke was currently in the bathroom, and he splashed his face with cold water.

Whatever it was, they would both pay for that bogus move.

Meanwhile, as everyone finished their meal, the restaurant owner as well as his son cleared the room. Sakura and Naruto deliberatly ate slowly, lingering on even after Kakashi had left. Kakashi was tired, and didn't even attempt to pursue his questioning of Sasuke's incident. After all, it wasn't unusual for the boy to have frequent mood swings.

He had just pushed through the swinging door when he spied Sasuke himself, coming to re-enter the room. Kakashi spared him a friendly wave, and said, "Naruto and Sakura are still eating inside," and continued on his way to chat with the pretty cook in the kitchen.

Kakashi disappeared through another set of doors. Sasuke, a little cautious, went to open the other door, only to discover he could perfectly hear two familliar voices on the other side.

_"You completely ruined MY move!"_ he could hear Sakura saying. He could just make out Naruto's voice, too.

"It's not my fault your touch scared him away!"

"Me? _Me_?" she repeated, disbelieving.

"Whatever," said Naruto. "It just didn't work. Nothing either of us has been doing is working. Listen, I think we should make a deadline."

"... A deadline. But what if neither of us seduces Sasuke by then? What happens to our bet? You agreed if I seduced him first, you wouldn't bother me about likin ghim anymore. And if you proved he was..." Her voice started trembling and she twitched. "G-gay, and had a crush on _you_, then I'd go on a date with you. What happens if we both lose?"

"We both forget about him!" Naruto offered hopefully.

"No," she said. "The bet becomes void."

Behind the door, Sasuke twicthed. Uncontrollably.

This explained the odd looks, the odd behavior. All of it. It was utterly sickening to say in the least. He stoically walked away from the situation.


	4. Awful Success!

**Welcome back, all!** Thanks for the reviews, they were very helpful! I also realized that this fic is not going to be very long... And now:

**To set things straight:** many of you have had comments about how I labeled my fic with the main characters Naruto and Sakura in the filter, and then complain (well, that's kind of a harsh word, lets say 'protest') that it's _misleading_. Well, one, you don't know if it's misleading or not, but SasuSaku will NOT be a main pairing so don't have a heart attack.

**Two, _come on_**:

The filter asks for two main characters of the story. So what am I supposed to put? It revovles mainly around the two, and the fact that they might be a paring is a possibility. **Nowhere** in my summary does it say that this will be a NaruSaku, so it's all on you to make false assumptions. Main point; the character filter isn't just for pairings, so don't train yourself to think that way. And I know most of you who asked didn't mean it in a 'flame' kind of way, so please don't think I'm being rude or anything, I appreciate you reading. Just asserting my point. Besides, you don't know what will happen yet. Like I said, I doubt you'll be disappointed no matter the outcome I choose, and I may not include any obvious pairings at all. If I do, I already told you what it was going to be.

You know, unless I decide to pull a SasuNaruSaku out of my... magic hat.

Just kidding! And now, without further ado...

* * *

**Chapter Four: Awful Success!**

The previous incidents might have been a clear and bright signal for the dynamic pair to tone it down, but with a new established deadline neither Sakura or Naruto wanted to waste any time. The downside was that the deadline was decided to be one week, and there was no team practice today. And so, Sakura had realized upon awaking to the gloriously lit day, she had no real excuse to seek out Sasuke!

The girl decided she would go out on a limb and find him anyway, even if it meant going to his house. Sure, she would come up with some totally weak excuse for it and in the end persuade him to go on a date with her! Smiling at her own idea, she pushed herself off her bed and began rummaging through her closet, looking for something that would look really nice.

It took a few minutes but she finally decided to put an old summer dress she never usually wore to use. Once she realized she didn't exactly have anything 'sexy' in her artillery, she settled for this cute little number; it was a short white dress with her clan symbol outline in the back, much like her red one, but this one had nicer straps that were thick and criss-crossed in the back. It didn't reveal too much on top but it certainly showed off her legs.

As a final touch, she doused herself in perfume, winked in the mirror, and dashed out the door towards her crush's house.

Naruto's thought process mirrored the kunoichi's as he first woke up. Konoha was lucky enough to be blessed with nice weather and a prolonged summer. His mission was to seek out Sasuke-but not without a plan. He would ask him to spar again. This was something he knew the raven haired boy wouldn't refuse-a chance to punish him after the last mission.

Nothing in his closet was any more appealing then the black and orange jacket he usually wore. Only this time, he stripped off the black shirt he usually wore underneath and kept the jacket unzipped. Glancing at himself in the mirror, he ruffled up his hair and took off his headband-just for the day.

__

I think chicks like this kind of stuff... so maybe Sasuke might, too,

he thought, smirking. All ready, he headed outside, his destination the training grounds, because he thought Sasuke was probably already there.

Coincidently, the paths that the two competitors took criss-crossed.

__

Is that...?

Naruto thought, shading his eyes with one hand as he saw a figure approaching in the distance.__

Don't tell me that's...

thought Sakura, as she approached a blond boy.

_Naruto!_

-_Sakura!_

The two examined their opponents as they passed. Sakura's eyes scanned Naruto from head to toe, and an odd expression flitted across her face.

__

I can believe I'm admitting this, even to myself but... Naruto looks kind of cute-I mean, good. No, that's not it! Just, um, better than usual,

the girl thought, bewildered. She quickly tore her eyes away from him, which she surprisingly found hard to do. She could hardly berate herself for thinking that way, because she still was!

Naruto's eyes were also glued to her, but they weren't looking at anything above he shoulders.

__

Wow, Sakura looks really nice. I hope Sasuke doesn't see her, she might have me beat!

He gulped, and resisted the urge to ask her out on a date right then in there.

The strangest feeling drifted through him as he passed by her wordlessly. Without uttering a single 'hello', they just exchanged glances and continued on.

__

Well,

Naruto thought, still coping with the strange sensation, _Our friendship shouldn't have to suffer just because of Sasuke..._ _And that's why I have to win out bet._ True to his word, he continued on to seek out Sasuke.

Not without some obstacles along the way; Sakura was ambushed by Ino, and couldn't explain where she was going, or why she was dressed so nicely. Snatched up by the blonde, her quest was put on hold until she could finish helping Ino out with some unimportant errand.

Although Naruto made it to the training grounds, the absence of Sasuke rendered the trip useless. Still determined, he switched direction and started heading to the Uchiha's house.

Unexpectedly, he made it before the kunoichi did.

The ridiculousness of the entire thing began to dawn on Naruto the moment he knocked on the door. Ridiculous it was, but it was also a war. War sometimes was ridiculous.

__

Knock. Knock. Knock

. Naruto banged on the door. Peering around, the Uchiha's house reminded him somewhat of a haunted mansion. Despite the sun's eager attempt to cast light over the area, the house still held the same gloomy desolation that defied it. The aura the house gave off was the same one Sasuke; it said,

_leave me alone._

Naruto reeled back and nearly tripped down the steps when the door opened suddenly, revealing Sasuke himself. Truthfully, Naruto didn't have much hope for Sasuke answering the door. Regaining his composure, he threw himself into an odd pose in attempt to make himself look 'cool.'

"Hey, Sasuke!" he said. "I w-was just wondering-" The blond was caught off guard when Sasuke's hand shot out and seized the front of his jacket, and pulled him inside.

"Naruto," he said simply.

"Hey! What are you-" The air was forced out of his lungs as Sasuke slammed him against the wall, with one arm against it in a way that made Naruto feel uneasy and trapped.

__

What is he doing! Is he attacking me?

the blond though frantically, not ready for such an assault. The words that fell out of Sasuke's mouth were the best and worst thing he ever heard.

"_Naruto, _I finally have you to myself," he said with a smirk.

"W-_What?"_ Naruto stuttered.

"Don't play games with me. I've noticed all the looks. You're flirting with me. I'm excited that you feel the same way I do..." Naruto's jaw dropped, and Sasuke leaned over with the same sinister smirk on his lips. "What do you think?"

"I-I-I-"

"Completely seduced me. I can't resist you," Sasuke finished, gazing into his eyes.

"I HAVE TO GO!" Naruto cried, and violently pushed Sasuke back. He staggered to the door and darted out, leaving Sasuke alone.

Sasuke pat the front of his shirt, smoothing out the wrinkle Naruto had made when he pushed him. The smirk slipped off his face, replaced with a look of disgust.

"He's even more of an idiot than I thought. I didn't expect him to run away." Sasuke shrugged and closed the door. "That dobe better **never** bother me again."


	5. Not a Date

**I'm so excited for this chapter**, even when writing this I thought 'I think they'll really like it!' I didn't want to update too soon, because I thought you would definetly get hungry for some more, so here's a warning. The next update won't come so soon. I was eager to write this one because the idea was fresh in my head. The next one will be a little harder, so be patient!

And here it is...

* * *

**Chapter 5: Not A Date**

_Holy... Oh My... What the..._

The scrambled fragments of Naruto's thoughts whirled around his very confused head. They boy couldn't stop shivering as he fled from Sasuke's house. It was an odd feeling to walk down the street, pretending everything was normal, yet knowing a secret no one else knew. It wasn't a feeling at all foreign to him, but he never had time to recover from the shock. A new sight that he wasn't quite ready for re-started the whole stomach-churning feeling.

As his eyes darted across the scene of the quiet street, they happened to spot Sakura, coming right his way. There she was, looking all pretty for her futile attempt to win over Sasuke...

He had to stop her.

"Hey! Sakura!" Naruto called, and as they approached each other jumped into her way. "What's up?"

"Hey, Naruto," she said, a little taken aback. Her eyes scanned him once more before she snapped them shut and shook her head. "Why are you in my way?"

"If you're going to Sasuke's house, I should tell you I already went there!" he said quickly, watching the expression on her face. A hue of red was slowly creeping into her cheeks.

"Oh yeah, you did?" she said.

"A-And he's not home!" This caused her the girl to raise and eyebrow. Smugly, she crossed her arms.

"You're trying to trick me, Naruto. Well nothing is going to get in the way of me and Sasuke!" She thrust out an arm to push him to the side, and continued her march forward.

"No, really!" Naruto said desperately.

_Stop her, stop her!_ Naruto took a deep breath, forcing fresh air into his lungs, and cleared his head.

"Well, whatever you think. I was only telling you that because I thought you knew where he could be," Naruto said. "Unless..." Despite her crusade, the girl couldn't help but turn an ear to her new rival. "Unless you've already talked to him! And you're just not telling me where he is!" Naruto forced himself to sound worried, which proved successful. Sakura turned around, and shifted her full attention away from the direction of Sasuke's house and to the blonde boy.

"I haven't. He's really not home?" she asked, slowly believing him.. _Naruto's determined but I doubt he could lie to my face,_ she thought.

"I checked his house, the streets, and even the training grounds. Everywhere!" Naruto said. _Technically that's not a lie, right?_

"Oh," she said, clearly disappointed. Naruto's heart dropped a few inches to hear the sadness in her voice.

_She looks beautiful. She did all that for him, and it's all for nothing. Because I was right, Sasuke really does like me. I still didn't know it was going to end up like this! I won!_

"Hey," Naruto said. "Since neither of us can find him, want to... Wanna go out for ramen with me!? Ichiraku's isn't far from here and-"

"Naruto, you didn't win the bet. Why would I go on a date with you now?" Sakura said. She didn't walk away just yet. The sky, which had abruptly turned a pale grey, shed a dull light on her features. Her eyes were protesting the proposal.

"Not a date," Naruto compromised. "I just thought we could... as friends, just-" A boisterous sound that mimicked a giant drum role tore through the sky, and an odd blue flash illuminated the clouds above. Thunder and lighting threatened the peaceful weather, and a few raindrops pelted towards the ground. Both looked up towards the sky, eyes wide.

"Alright," said Sakura, in a lighter voice. "I'll go." A warm feeling spread across Naruto and he couldn't help but burst out smiling. "But let's go now, before it really starts to rain-" The thunder boomed through the air again, just in time to announce the arrival of the infinite amount of water droplets that were making a beeline to the ground.

"Ahh!" Sakura shrieked, and began to run. Naruto zipped up his orange jacket and ran after her, trying to evade the rain that now no longer just drizzling, but pounding down, creating a fizzing noise as it drummed against the streets. With Ichiraku's soon in sight, the two ran even faster for cover.

Naruto lifted open the flap that covered Ichiraku's ramen bar and let Sakura dart in, safe from the wetness of the outside. When they both were in, Sakura was laughing.

"What's so funny?" asked Naruto. The girl just smiled and shrugged.

"I spent at least an hour getting ready in the morning. A lot of good it did me now," she said. Naruto grinned, too.

"I saw you earlier. You didn't say hi to me, but I thought you looked really nice." The smile on Sakura's face faltered a little and she shrugged.

"Save your lines, Naruto, I said this isn't a date! Now that we're here, let's just eat." Deciding not to push his luck, Naruto hopped onto the stool Next to Sakura and decided what he wanted to order. A few minutes later a large bowl of miso ramen was placed in front of the eager boy, an another smaller one for Sakura.

"Actually, I really wish it didn't rain. I did want Sasuke to see my dress. Then you would really lose," Sakura said, twirling a chopstick absent-mindedly into her food. Naruto paused mid-bite.

"Sakura, there's something you should know..." Naruto said, a smile unfolding on his lips.

_**I think it's time to tell her**__,_ he thought, and stuffed the noodles into his mouth.

_But no... don't._

_**What?**_

At this point, he started having an internal debate with the voice in his head.

-_I can't tell her, remember how miserable she was when she heard Sasuke wasn't home? Imagine how devastated she would be if she knew Sasuke liked me! She'd hate me!_

_**-Yeah, but they I would win the bet, and she would have to forget about him!**_

_-But she really likes him, I doubt she could just forget. I don't want to hurt her..._

_-__**Just tell her and she's yours!**_

_-Just because she lost the bet doesn't mean she would start to like me. I'm not going to tell her!_

_**-Fine then, so what are you going to do? Let her win Sasuke over?**_

_-That's impossible. Sasuke likes me. _

_**-Then what, already?**_

_-Make it a tie. Drag it out until the deadline, and do whatever it takes to keep Sasuke off me before she finds out. When the deadline comes, then everything will be exactly how it always is. _

_**-... Then in reality, you'll still have a shot with her! But she won't with Sasuke, because Sasuke still will like you!**_

_-Yeah!_

_**-You're a genius! Now stop talking to yourself.**_

_-Well, it helped, didn't it?_

Sakura, who had perked up considerably once Naruto had announced he had something to tell her, was growing impatient. "Naruto? You were just about to tell me something!" The boy jerked to attention and his mind went blank.

"Uh, yeah. I wanted to say even though this isn't a date I'm still paying for you!" He exclaimed. Sakura blinked, a tinge of color similar to that of her hair entering her cheeks.

"Thanks," she said, and being conscious of the color entering her face turned to hide it. It successfully went unnoticed by Naruto, who finished his ramen. Then rain conveniently let up just as the two finished their meals.

"That's odd," said Sakura. "I hate rain like that. One minutes it will be perfectly fine out, and the next it starts pouring!"

"And it lasts five minutes and then it looks like it never had been raining," added Naruto.

"Exactly, and it ruins my hair." A few comfortable seconds ticked past as the both just observed the setting around them, and realized they were ok with it. Sakura pretended to be fussing over her hair, when really she was realizing that she was secure with the fact that she had had a good time with Naruto, none of it threatening her infatuation with Sasuke.. And Naruto pretended to be observing the clearing sky, when really he was realizing that he was secure with the fact that without his interference, things might go back to the way they were, without the bet.

"I'm going to go now. Thanks for paying," said Sakura, waving a hand.

"Wait! Don't you want me to walk you home?" he asked hastily.

Sakura cocked her head in sincere confusion. "Why?" Naruto couldn't think of a good enough answer. "Naruto, that's the kind of thing people do on dates." She winked cheerily and turned her back. "Besides, your house is closer than mine, so that wouldn't make much sense, would it?"

"Y-yeah," Naruto said, still trying to register everything she just said-the playful wink thrown him off and froze a little part of his brain.

"So I guess I'll have to walk _you_ home," she sighed. It was unconventionally, but so were a lot of things about this date that was_ not_ a date.


	6. Flirting with Disaster

**A/N:**

You know, I really had a lot of trouble writing this chapter, and I don't think it measures up to the writing I've bene doing recently. Sorry for that, it's just that up until now I knew exactly what I wanted to happen. And now, I only had the gist of I wanted to happen. **And after this chapter, it's going to be the last chapter**, so I really wanna do extra good on it. I'm not really sure how I want to end, but I probably shouldn't uncover my uncertainess to you.

Just know I really want the last chapter to be great, so it will take a long time. Hope you don't mind :)

I've forgotten all about disclaimers lately. So, uh (Disclaimer: Naruto, I own thou not.) That goes for all chapters.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Flirting With Disaster**

The recipe for yesterday night, in Naruto's mind, was this;

-5 parts shock

-4r parts horror

Combine cup, put lid on and shake, shake, shake (because there's no way the shock of Sasuke's confession could casually stir in his mind.) And then:

-2 parts fear

-a pinch of hesitance

-3 parts confusion

-7 parts happiness

Combine in bowl, beat together. The taste of happiness eliminates the bitter taste left in his mouth after he decided not to tell Sakura about winning the bet.

The recipe for this morning would be to combine the two concoctions from the previous night. This recipe, Naruto decided, was greatly outreached the complexity of his own culinary skill, and he sorely wished life could be as easy as making his three minute instant ramen.

Before Naruto knew it, the scene quickly changed from his comfortable kitchen, where he was ruminating over the recipes of different types of ramen, to the training grounds where he was trying his best to sustain normality. Kakashi being no where in sight, he dared to glance at Sasuke's passive face, eyes closed, and noticed Sakura's impatient stare. He thinks that that maybe pulling normality off would be easier than he thought., since nothing has seemed to change.

"Hey, Sakura!" He said brightly, noticing her eyes had somehow torn themselves from Sasuke's handsome features and onto his attire. He, unlike her, had stopped vying for their raven haired teammate's attention, and therefore found it unnecessary to make any effort to dress himself nicely. Naruto was back to his simple orange jacket and pants, no alterations. Sakura was still making that effort, spending that extra hour in the mirror, which Sasuke failed and always would fail to notice.

_If she only knew_, Naruto thought with a wry smirk.

Soon the regular routine took place, including the late appearance of Kakashi, the lame excuse, the quick D ranked mission, and follow up training. Time seemed move agonizingly slow under the glare of the sun after the mission ended. Naruto knew that the deadline was in two days; and all he would have to do was endure the hours.

And well as Sakura's tiring behavior. Oblivious, the girl was flirting her little heart out.

"_Sasuke,_ could you help me... ?"

"Naruto can help."

"But-Naruto, doesn't know what he's doing. Not like _you_."

And truthfully, it was starting to touch on Naruto's nerves. Every few seconds the pink haired kunoichi would praise and fawn over her crush-at the expense of Naruto. It seemed to be her new strategy. For every one compliment she dished out to Sasuke, she dealt to Naruto a few degrading jabs, probably meant to to strip the blonde of his appeal towards Sasuke.

It got seriously agitating, considering how she acted the previous night, and considering how Sasuke was blatantly shooting down her every move. Didn't she know she was flirting with disaster? Act or not, Naruto debated with himself for quite some time and found that he had considerably less sympathy than he did before.

_Look _at Sasuke. The blonde entirely stopped what he was doing just to analyze his rival. He stared, now unabashed. How could he be acting so slick and nonchalant towards the both of them after what took place? It was as if that night never occurred, for Sakura or Sasuke.

"Sakura," he said with a frown, even before he had a chance to knock himself off his pedestal of boldness. "I won the bet." The effect was immediate. The girl promptly whirled around to face her blonde competition, one eye twitching.

"What are you talking about?"

"I won," he said airily, and resumed his activities. If he had it his way, he'd love to just leave it at that. A shadow fell over him as the girl he addressed came to his side. He felt a cold hand clamp around the back of his neck.

"_Do-you-want-to-give-us-away_?" She said, in a furiously hushed voice. "If Sasuke finds out about our bet, there's no telling what he'll do." If she was _this _serious about it, maybe he should stick to his originally plan to not tell her at all, he thought.

"Well there's nothing much he could do about it anyway!" Naruto said, resisting the pain of her grip. He saw a veil of pink hair as she leaned over, closer to his ear.

"You're so stupid. Yes, there is." Naruto shook his head, and stood upright. He thrusts a finger in Sasuke's direction.

"It's already too late, Sakura! I'm telling you the teme likes me!" He said this overbearingly loud, and as he said it Sasuke turned in his direction, a glare hardened on his face.

"What?" Sakura said sardonically. "Of course. Can you prove it?" Naruto sighed, knowing a heart break was about to occur.

"Tell her Sasuke. The day I went to your house, you told me. Admit you like me, teme." If looks could kill, the daggers in Sasuke's eyes would have severed every chord in Naruto's mislead heart. Then, he turned his cheek in cool disregard.

"What the hell are you talking about? I wasn't home all yesterday." Naruto's eyes narrowed in realization.

_He's not going to admit it, is he?_

"You're lying!" Naruto said hoarsely. Sakura wasted no time in bashing him over the head.

"Shut up! Don't try and cheat, Naruto! And I'm telling you, if Sasuke catches on we're dead!"

"But Sakura-" the blonde whined, on the ground. She placed a foot on his back and leaned onto it, stopping his words.

"Do you have any idea how unfair it will be if he knows? If he knew about the bet, chances are he would either kill us, or purposely lead one of us on to gain the outcome he favors most." Her tone was matter-of-factly and threatening.

"You think Sasuke would do that?" Naruto said, painfully shifting his head to peer at the said boy.

"I wouldn't put it past him." The raven haired boy caught Sasuke's eyes.

_No,_ Naruto thought, as he saw the plain scowl on his face. _The teme could never act that well. Like he would really.._

He watched as the raven haired boy raised his eyebrows coolly and winked.

_WHAT THE HELL? I don't get anything that's going on around here! I'm so confused._ At last, Sakura released the pressure on her foot, allowing Naruto to breath again. Sakura stopped her flirtatious behavior to avoid suspicion from then on. Not too long after, Kakashi called off the practice and offered to treat them to dinner after such a long day.

_This is a good opportunity, _Sakura thought, agreeing right away to join. _But I wonder why Naruto looks so flustered._

Naruto did look disheveled as he argued with himself. _So do I quit trying, or don't I? Does Sasuke like me or not? Argh!_

Sasuke declined the offer.

"No! It's a team thing, you have to!" Sakura said, while Naruto nodded.

"Why don't you just come, Sasuke? I'll count it as training and cut an hour off of practice tomorrow," Kakashi compromised, knowing that the next day would be sweltering hot. He would probably show up a few extra hours late that day, and it had nothing to do with visiting a grave.

Both his teammates were staring at him with wide, pleasing eyes. He could practically feel the waves of desperations rolling off of them.

"Teme," said Naruto, forgetting all about his seductive role, "You better come! If we have to practice anymore when we don't have to then-" He droned on, but Sasuke wasn't listening.

It was really the least thing he wanted to do, knowing that every step to the blonde's favorite ramen palace meant being sexually harassed by two competition hungry losers. But being out in the hot, humid weather, and being hit on by the same two loser, that would probably start _stripping_ like last time... Well, that would be worse.

"Hn," he replied, and crossed his arms, which they all knew was Sasuke's passive way of saying 'yes.' Kakashi smile beneath his mask at the success. One more to add to the headcount was exactly what he needed, because he didn't really plan on fully paying for the meal.

It didn't take them to long to get there. Once they entered the all too familiar ramen bar, it was as if a switch flipped inside Naruto's and Sakura's head, activating them into the infamous seduction mode. Sasuke could sense tension in the air as he seated himself on the very last seat to the right so that only one person could sit next him, and regretted even coming.

Naruto and Sakura 'inconspicuously' raced to snatch the seat next to their target, Sakura being the victor. Sasuke watched her ruthlessly jab Naruto in the ribs just for the prized spot, and actually found himself relieved; better her than Naruto. Since Kakashi took the seat next to Sakura, Sasuke thought that Naruto would be as far away as possible. Instead, the blond went out of his way to slide to the left of Sasuke, and sit in the first seat where the bar turned a corner. This way, he was facing diagonally from them all.

"Kakashi-sensei, is this really your treat?" Naruto asked, with bright and eager eyes scanning the menu.

"That's what I said," the man replied truthfully, although he only planned to cover half the bill and disappear. One by one they exchanged their order to Ayame, the waitress, for a ten minute wait. It was the conversation that ensued during this wait that made Sasuke wish they the food would just come so the others could stuff their mouths with it.

"Kakashi-sensei, it's going to be _so_ hot tomorrow. We should just forget about practice and go to the beach," Sakura said, absorbed in the impossible fantasy. "Sasuke, we should go to the beach together!"

Kakashi didn't reply; he was absorbed in his volume of Icha Icha Paradise, holding it subtly under the counter in a way that he thought the other's wouldn't notice. "Oh, hm," he replied, not realizing she already turned the question to Sasuke.

"What do you think?" Sakura repeated, smoothing out her voice.

"I don't think so," Sasuke replied evenly. Across from them, Naruto was leaning forward, both arms crossed on the counter.

"That's because he would rather train on the beach with me, huh Sasuke?" Naruto said confidently, successfully keeping the quiver out of his voice after it crackled up his spine. Every time he was nice to Sasuke, an electric impulse shot down his nerves, as if to tell him his actions were wrong and producing pain. Before Sasuke replied, Sakura cut in-

"If Kakashi gives us a day off, who wants to spend it _training_? Anyways, if Sasuke really wanted to train, I think he would rather practice... with me." A lustful gleam entered her eye as she looked from Sasuke to Naruto, challenging him.

Naruto gulped, and hoped it didn't show. When she talked like that, he had no clue how the Uchiha stayed to cool and indifferent. He could feel a bead of sweat trickle down the back of his neck. The sudden change in temperature prompted him to untie and slip off his headband.

The he decided that he already had an upper hand with Sasuke, and he couldn't let Sakura take it away.

"I think I'm more of a challenge for him, don't you think?" he said complacently, narrowing his bright blue eyes in a way that made Sakura wonder how he could make them look so _alluring_, and if he would teach her. His gaze lingered on Sasuke, then returned to hers again. "Sasuke rather have a challenge," he finished suggestively.

"What are you saying?" the girl snapped.

_IS HE CALLING ME EASY OR SOMETHING?_ Inner Sakura screamed in outrage. _GET 'EM BACK, RIGHT NOW!_

She traced a delicate finger on the counter, moving it in slow circles. "But Sasuke doesn't like pointless things, does he? Who chases something they don't even want?" She hated to admit it, but the way those azure eyes examined her, it made he feel kind of unnerved. She couldn't describe the effect it had on her; all she knew was that she coudl fell heat rising to her face and she was all of a sudden painfully concious of her posture, her clothes, and everything about herself. Shifting uncomfortably, she shifted her eyes back to Sasuke.

When her emerald eyes tore away from his, Naruto felt himself fighting a distracting battle. He kept forgetting that it was Sasuke who was supposed to capture his attention, not Sakura.

Their suggestive dialougue had effected Sasuke less than he he thought he would allow it to. After all, they were talking as if he wasn't sitting right between them. It made him feel like an object, the way they kept stealing glances at him. He had a certain tolerance level of the two, which increased since he gained the distinct feeling that their provocative chitchat had been less directed at him and more towards... _eachother_? Whenever they talked, he reluctantly noticed, their eyes were fixated on eachother. He felt more at ease once he slipped out of their conversation alltogether, and even pushed his stool back a few inches or more to physical remove himself from their foolish little game.

Their food had been set before them during their little argument, which was so fierce Naruto even forgot about the aroma of noodles that hovered under his nose. By the time they finished Sasuke and Kakashi both finished their food.

"Well, I'm out," Kakashi said, waving a hand. He was glad his students had been so distracted, and were never given the chance to notice his secret technique for eating with his mask. He slapped a few bills on the counter and stood up. A plume of smoke enveloped him, leaving nothing behind when it cleared.

Only Sasuke noticed his departure, which made him decide to make his own. Pushing away from the others, and he announced he was leaving. The eyes of Sakura and Naruto fluttered to him in an instant, and each asked to walk him home. Within seconds they started another heated argument, and he found himself able to slip away unnoticed, which was a nice change.

"You don't even really like him, Naruto!" Sakura said, finishing her argument. "So how could you possibly hope to win again true love?

_But I really like you,_ he countered inwardly, knowing the words wouldn't make it to his mouth. Sakura slapped her palms on the table and stood up from her seat.

"I refuse to continue this conversation, okay?" At that moment, the ramen lady came over to collect the bill. Sakura motioned over to Kakashi's side of the counter, where he had left the money. She picked it up and scanned the bill, then counted the money.

"Um, you're short," she told them lightly. "Do you have the rest of the money?"

"What?" Sakura yelped, and took the bill from her. Kakashi had neglected to pay eleven dollars that they still owed.

_THAT CHEAP BASTARD!_ Sakura thought, enraged as she gripped the piece of paper.

"Don't worry about it," Naruto thought, rummaging in his pocket. He handed Ayame the rest of the money. Sakura sighed.

"I'll pay you back half if Kakashi doesn't," she said, cracking her knuckles. "But he will." Naruto shook his head.

"Don't even worry about it. Do you want me to walk you home?" The intensity in the girl's emerald eyes faded, and was replaced with something sincere.

"No thanks. I'll still pay you back, thought."

_Stubborn,_ Naruto thought, calling the kettle black.

"Or you could go out and eat with me again! Maybe next week!" Sakura suppressed a sudden urge to laugh, and shrugged.

"Maybe," she replied, slowly warming up to his building offers. After a few more minutes on insisting he walk her home, she finally had to accept (the owners of Ichiraku's were beginning to stare). They walked home, idly venting on what a messed up sensei they had.


	7. Blind Date

I hope you didn't think I forgot about this. I truthfully was working on the update! Because this is the **LAST CHAPTER** I'll save the A/N until the end :)

* * *

**Chapter 7: Blind Date**

If he wasn't mistaken, today must be that _'deadline' _those two losers were talking about. He didn't mark it on his calendar or anything, but he sure made a mental note of the day all this foolishness would end. Sasuke was a little surprised with himself for being so lenient, and not bashing in the door and kicking Naruto's ass the day he overheard the conversation that revealed everything. Why was that, anyway?

Was it because it amused him?

(_Definitely not_!)

Because he was curious to see how far they would go?

(_God_ no...)

Because he had no idea to approach the awkward situation?

(We have a winner!)

It didn't matter, today would be the final test of endurance, the Uchiha noted smugly as he threw his regular blue shirt over his head, and grabbed his headband. His eyes wandered around his room, ensuring that he hadn't forgotten anything. Wait, what was that?

In the window, there was a flash of _blonde_. Blonde _hair_? It settled in the corner.

Sasuke's heart skipped a beat.

The image that popped into his mind was Ino, that girl that was always fighting with Sakura. From the texture and shortness of the hair that was resting just outside his window, he quickly assessed that it wasn't her. That left one more person he knew that was currently 'obsessed' with him, and the thought that he just outside his window _horrified_ him.

Because he only just got his clothes on a few seconds ago, omit his drawers.

Heart thumping wildly, he took a few tentative steps towards window. The hair was still visible... He reached out a hand when...

Another hand because visible and knocked on the glass pane. Sasuke froze, and then threw open the window. A big head with blue eyes and blonde hair popped up, inches from his.

"SASUKE!" Naruto shouted, and the addressed boy staggered back in shock. The shock was quickly replaced by anger as Sasuke darted forward and grabbed Naruto by the shirt.

"What are you doing?" Naruto spluttered, trying to pry Sasuke's hand off of him.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Sasuke roared, and pulled him in. He threw him to the floor. "Were you just watching me dress?"

_Is he really gay, or what!? _He thought, repulsed.

"What?" Naruto squeaked, too scared of Sasuke's rage to pick himself off of the floor. "I didn't see anything! I really need to talk to you, and you weren't answering your door!"

"_So you went outside my window_?"

"It's really, really important!"

_Damnit, _thought Sasuke. _Now he's coming to my house to 'talk' to me. They're desperate... I hope Sakura doesn't pull this crap. And he probably still thinks I actually _like _him or something!_

"I can explain," whined Naruto, looking up at his dangerous friend.

"Then talk. You have five seconds."

* * *

Few things could have prepared Kakashi for the onslaught of reprimanding fury brought forth by the two of his students that morning. After hearing the admonishing complaints and objections, he merely sighed, nostalgically thinking about the days when all his little Sakura and Naruto could do was gently scold him for his lateness.

"I'm so sorry, I must have counted wrong," Kakashi said lightly, holding up his hands.

_If only you knew if was for your own good._

"-But I don't have any money on me right now, so I can't pay you back." The wave of insults resurfaced, showering the jonin in threats and a resentful attitude. "Now if you'll accept my apology and stop complaining, I took the liberty of getting you a C ranked mission."

Naruto stopped mid-sentence to voice what he thought about that, and it came out a little odd.

"And I bet you were never going to pay in-WHAT? YEAH!" the blonde shouted, jumping up and down. While Naruto was distracted with excitement, Kakashi pulled a scroll from his pocket and scanned it with one eye. He promptly turned around and started walking away from the squad.

"This way," he called over his shoulder. "We don't have much time."

"Maybe if someone wasn't _late_ all the time," Sakura muttered under her breath, looking dismal. She was hoping that they would just be doing a little training, and then Kakashi would let them off early as he promised. Naruto jogged after the white haired man, bubbly with excitement.

"So, what is it? What is it?" he asked ebulliently.

"Um, I'll explain the details when we get there," Kakashi said lightly, not meeting his eyes.

"But won't we be unprepared?" asked Sakura.

"It's in the village?" questioned Sasuke dryly.

"Hmm, something like that, but not exactly," Kakashi answered both questions at once. They continued to follow him, silently cursing his vagueness. Possibilities swirled in their heads as Kakashi led them through the village, and even outside the village gates.

"Sensei! Won't we need to pack if we're leaving the village?" Sakura asked, hesitant to leave the gates behind.

"That won't be necessary as long as you have your basic gear. This is about as far as we go. Now," Kakashi turned and addressed his three students.

"Your mission is to guard this section of the village parameter. Our watch is five hours long. That doesn't mean you can just slack off, you still have to be alert in case of an-"

"SERIOUSLY?" cried Naruto. "That's IT? I thought we were going on a _real _mission, you said this was C ranked!"

"It is," Kakashi answered, looking serious. "And if you don't take it seriously, we'll resign. Regularly, chunin guard the outskirts of the village, as well as ANBU. We're going to guard a section about half a mile from here for the designated time of five hours." Their jaws dropped at the time limit of the mission; five _hours, _and likely no action? Who would attempt to break into the village in broad daylight?

Still, a mission was a mission; Team 7 found themselves assembled among the earth and trees, keeping guard for any intruders. Sasuke stood visibly a distance from the stony gates, Sakura crouched in the trees, and Naruto behind a large thicket of grass. Although Kakashi did not specifically ask them to make this formation, the jonin only told them to stay alert, and stand guard however it worked best for them. And though he warned his students to take it seriously, it didn't appear he thought anything would actually happen. His students hid behind nature, and he hid behind his book.

With Sasuke facing both his teammates backs, it was plain for him to see what a lackadaisical effort they were making. They were in clear view, leaving Sasuke's eyes to wander on each of them in turn. It was hard _not _to let your mind wander when you were sitting in a s secluded area by yourself, with nothing to do _but _pay attention to things.

Inevitably as the raven haired shinobi stood statue like as he surveyed the area, his eyes and mind reached out to his teammates. And that ridiculous bet, and what Naruto had said to him that morning earlier.

It's just that...

... they were _so_ idiotic.

What in the world would cause them to make a stupid bet like that, wagering his affection as if it would even work? And each were expecting to win him over? His stony eyes rested first on the back of the blonde, and he almost smirked.

No doubt Naruto held no serious interest him, that was a joke. He knew that, but he wouldn't have guessed Naruto would go as far as to pretend to like him just to win a date with Sakura. Now, Sakura...

His eyes swept over the yards of marsh-like land and above to the trees to settle on the pinkette, who was perched on a branch. She expected to seduce him, huh?

It was obvious that if he _had_ to choose between the two, she would be the only obvious choice. Then again, she was really the only female he associated with, and therefore he had grown more tolerant to her. What wasn't obvious was why he was even thinking these thoughts. He didn't _have_ to choose between them, and just setting up the hypothetical situation in his head was stupid.

_They_ were stupid. Looking back, Sasuke could pick out all the strange, unexplainable behavior that now had an explanation. Like the way Sakura had been dressing, as if he would _actually_ notice her.

There was that white dress that came up to her neck, but cut short, exposing her legs. It had the Haruno Clan symbol on her back, it was probably something she would usually wear on special occasions. And she did something to her hair, too, he couldn't pinpoint it. Who knew the things girls did in their desperate hopes...

He remembered how she used her flirtatiousness to unsuccessfully draw attention to herself. The usually mild mannered kunoichi was acting particularly provocative on the last practice they had. She kept running her fingers through her hair and throwing suggestive winks at him, a pretty assertive move for someone he regular assumed was more submissive.

_As if _he would notice any of it...

Unfortunately he found that his eyes lingered on her longer than he originally intended, because upon his last thought Sakura turned around and caught him staring. He looked away quickly, pretending to glue his eyes to Naruto, ensuring he was doing his job. The dobe was still; he was probably sleeping by now.

This time she wasn't simply staring at him, she actually meant to get his attention. He noticed this when he glanced her way, and her eyes were locked in his direction. She swung around, and slid off the branch, landing gracefully on the ground below. She peered at Kakashi-sensei, who was either dead or shocked numb by what he just read, and continued to approach Sasuke.

He was allowed to look at her as she came closer without feeling uncomfortable, and noticed something. Her recently confident and brash expression somewhat melted away, revealing a glimpse of the uncertainty he was more used to seeing on her face. The odd, paradoxical, timid assurance that dominated her face now was the one he usually acquainted her with. He kind of liked it better than the show she put on. Her face displayed a battle between confidence and shyness as she struggled to address him.

"Sasuke... " she began. He raised his eyebrow in acknowledgment. "I w-was just wondering, do you think we try a new formation? I mean, it's not that serious but I was just thinking, this way there's a lot of blind spots. It would be more thorough to form an even semi-circle don't you think? And not so spread out... "

He wondered why she didn't just tell Kakashi all this, and then remembered Kakashi had nominated Sasuke team leader (much to the discord of Naruto).

"Yeah, sure. Except that will create even more blind spots. We don't have 360 degree vision, so it's best to have one person in the forefront. Leave Naruto where he is. You can go about fifty yards to my left. Kakashi covers the rest." The girl blinked, and made no move to jump as his command.

"Oh, alright. It's not like this mission is a big deal anyway," she said and yawned, explaining her reason to loiter in Sasuke's designated area. He fixed her with a cold stare hoping it would scare her away, but they both knew Sakura was too used to such tactics.

"Um, Sasuke?" she said.

_Here it comes,_ thought Sasuke, _the last effort to convince me to fall head over heals for the same girl that's been annoying me since the days at the academy._

_Sakura,_ the pinkette thought to herself. _This is the last chance you're going to get. Earn a date with him tonight and you can convince Naruto that you've won him over._ It was time to switch on the charm.

"I want to apologize," she said unexpectedly.

_Apologize?_ Sasuke repeated in his head, but was too cool and collected to say it out loud. She nodded to him, and cocked her head in the cutesy way tended to do when they pretended to be confused; only now, there wasn't a trace of confusion marking Sakura's appeal.

"The last week or so has been kind of crazy. You might think that I've been acting a little weird, but truthfully I'm kind of new to this," she said, as if that was all there was to say. Sasuke waited for an explanation, and got none.

"What are you talking about?" he asked at last, irritated that she was forcing him to commit to the conversation. She went from pretending to admire the scenery to snapping to attention.

"I've been making an extra effort to get you to like me. No, don't get me wrong-I did it for a reason. Naruto already liked me, and I knew I needed to gain your approval too, in order to _strengthen the team_. You had me thinking before, I _do _want to get stronger. I want to be useful to the team. I thought if we pushed aside any grudges towards each other we could strengthen the squad into a stronger unit. I just wanted you to not... not look _down_ on me, so I tried to be amiable. That's all, and maybe I came off to strong-but with all my talking I could write an essay, so I'll just leave it there." She flashed him a smile, took a deep breath, and then wheeled around.

She waited.

"Sakura... what's your point?

"Do you want to, um, meet me later tonight? I really need help training and I think if we spend time together, I can understand better-"

_Oh, no you don't,_ thought Sasuke. He sighed inwardly, making the final decision. He gave her a once-over; annoying, but dedicated at the least. He sourly admitted that he gave her more value than she thought he did.

"Tomorrow," Sasuke said. "At six."

She blinked.

She got the date?

_But it has to be today!_ she thought, _or I'll lose!_

"But Sasuke-why not today-"

_No. This game is going to end._

"Tomorrow is convenient for me, Sakura," he said shortly in a tone that plainly said, 'don't push it.' Sakura simply stared.

_Alright, I tied the stupid bet but I STILL GOT A DATE! CHA!_

"Okay," she said sweetly and calmly, and waved him off. "I better go keep watch." She retreated leaving Sasuke with some unpleasant thoughts in his head, only made worse when he saw just what exactly was coming next.

**A Few minutes later...**

The place Naruto picked to hide was a good one-so good it completely camouflaged the fact that Sakura and Sasuke were in full view of him. He couldn't read lips, but judging from Sakura's expression something suspicious was going on. Frowning, he emerged from the grassy marsh. He wasn't going to let her get away with this.

He marched over to Sasuke, and glared.

"What was that about?" he demanded, skipping the pleasantries. Sasuke, who didn't seem to be paying him much attention, shrugged. "Sasuke! Listen to me!" The raven haired boy shook his head, and told him to come a little closer. Confused, the blonde did as he was told; Sasuke whispered something into his ear.

_It's too late, Naruto,_ Sakura thought as she watched from a distance. _Neither of us won the battle, but I won the war._

* * *

It wasn't Ichiraku's, and Sakura was relieved. Sasuke was a bit more classy than to invite her to the same little ramen bar they had been to the night before last. She waited in anticipation, drumming her fingers against the table of the quaint little restaurant. She was sitting in a booth with brown, sleek padding and a mahogany glazed table. The waiter took one look at the beautifully dressed girl and lay two menus in from of her. The waiter also gave her a sympathetic look, as if he was expecting her to get stood up.

Ignoring him, Sakura tensed as she saw someone coming the in entrance...

"Sakura!"

She twitched.

"Sakura, what are you doing here!" A plainly dressed Naruto bounded over to her booth, eyes wide with surprise.

"What do you mean?" cried the girl. "I have a date with Sasuke." The blonde blinked, and paused. His eyes glazed over, his mind taking him to another place.

At last, he spoke. "Sasuke told me to meet him here that day we had the mission... He said he had to talk to me about something." Sakura closed her eyes, and placed a hand on her forehead.

"Yeah... That same day, huh? He finally accepted a date. He told me this place, at this time."

"Aa..." She beckoned for him to sit down, smirking at how out-of-place he looked, clad in orange in this semi-fancy restaurant. " Why would Sasuke do something like that? It's obvious now that he has no intention of showing up." She buried her head in her arms and rested silently against the table.

_Sasuke..._ Naruto thought, and his mind went back two days, the morning he came to request something of Sasuke.

* * *

_Flashback_

_Damnit, thought Sasuke. Now he's coming to my house to 'talk' to me. They're desperate... I hope Sakura doesn't pull this crap. And he probably still thinks I actually like him or something!_

_"I can explain," whined Naruto, looking up at his dangerous friend._

_"Then talk. You have five seconds."_

"Alright, don't get mad! Just hear me out! Sakura and I made a bet right-" Naruto started giggling in that nervous kind of way-"t-t-that, uh, whoever could _seduce_ you first would win-AHH!" He jumped back as Sasuke made a move to grab him.

"You _dobe_. I already knew about your stupid little bet, I overhead you talking about it." Naruto's jaw dropped, and his face flushed. "And I only _acted_ like I liked you because I thought that would stop both of you from bothering me. And listen, if you _ever_-" Naruto scrambled to his feet, avoiding Sasuke's wrath.

"-Try to pull something like that on me again! I'll personally-" the rest was too R rated for Naruto's ears, and most of what was said he couldn't really understand. He was still shocked that Sasuke knew all along-and Sakura _was _right. He did try to sabotage the outcome!

"I know, I know! I'm sorry already, but that's not why I came here. I have a deal for you," Naruto said. Sasuke finally calmed down, and stared at him hard.

"I don't make deals."

"But if you pretended to like me in front of Sakura, just _once_, I could say I won and she would leave you alone! And I'd have her to myself!" Naruto finished, proud of the plan he came up with. He grinned and waited for the answer.

"No. I'm not playing your little games, and I'm not pretending to like you."

"WHAT? But it works out for _both _of us! I don't understand," whined Naruto, taking a seat on Sasuke's bed. Ignoring the Uchiha's murderous glare, he continued to wrack his brain for some answers. "Why wouldn't you agree? Unless... Sasuke, you really do like her!"

"_What_?" The whisper was low but dangerous, and any normal person would have shut their mouths at the moment it was uttered. Naruto, however, considered himself above the normal person, and also thought that Sasuke sounded just a_ little _too defensive.

"You like Sakura, don't you? You _like _the attention!" Sasuke sighed, feeling a migraine coming on.

"You're more of an idiot than I thought. I'm _not_ going to pretend to like you," he said shortly, and slung his pack over his shoulders. His gesture indicated that the argument was no longer up for discussion.

"You did it before!" protested his blonde burden.

"Not in front of Sakura."

"So you don't want her to think you like _me_, because you like _her_!" the blonde said smartly, hardly looking alarmed when Sasuke growled.

"No, I don't want to make myself look like an idiot in front of other people!" Naruto shoved himself off the bed and got to his feet, a dark cloud hanging over his head.

"If you like Sakura, do us all of favor and stop pretending you don't. She at least deserves that... " Angrily, he stormed out. This time he didn't use the window; he marched out of Sasuke's room and slammed the door behind him. The force of the door shook his dresser, which in turn shook the picture atop the dresser, which in turn hit the floor. It cracked and left a halo of glass splinters around it.

"NARUTO!" But the blonde had already heard the glass shatter and took off running out the door.

_End Flashback_

* * *

"Naruto, are you blanking out?" He shook his head, and locked his eyes onto the viridian green ones that stared right back. Sakura was leaning forward, chin in her hands. While he was just descending from far away thoughts, both of her feet still touched the ground.

"Sorry," he apologized, a ghost of a smile playing on his face. "Sasuke's a jerk. Why don't we eat, anyway?" There was a brief pause, and to his relief she nodded.

"Alright, but not here. It's not really my style." Naruto nodded his head, but didn't make a move.

"No problem... Just, eh, Sakura?" His eyes rested on hers, words on the tip of his hesitant tongue. Peering at her clueless expression, he couldn't bring himself to say anything profoundly comforting or deep. It wasn't that he was shy, he just couldn't think of anything.

A sweet sound reached his ears and he realized she was giggling at him.

"The look on your face," she said, "are you thinking too hard?" Naruto grinned and leaned forward until his forehead touched hers. Her eyes widened on contact.

"I was going to say Sasuke's a jerk," he said. Sakura blinked; she had never been that close to him before, and still had no idea what he was doing. It was obvious he wasn't going to kiss her-his eyes were wide open. His eyes looked like azure pools, and shrank into puddle as he withdrew his head.

"You... already said that."

"I know. I couldn't think of anything else," he said apologetically, and she watched as he began to turn a shade of red; it made her want to laugh out loud, because Naruto was _never_ embarrassed.

"That's the most you can do? You're supposed to shower me with roses and sweep me off my feet," said Sakura jokingly.

"What?"

"Just kidding. If you're going to be a substitute for Sasuke on this date, all you have to do and have a better response than 'hn'."

"...Hn."

Sakura slid from the booth, ready to move on. She realized that through the same subtle teasing that she practiced all week on Sasuke, she had just established that this was a date, set expectations for Naruto, and dissed Sasuke. Her equilibrium must still be off balance from the shock of Sasuke standing her up.

* * *

A bead of sweat rolled down the back of his neck; his limbs screamed for rest. That's what happened when you didn't let you body rest, when you pushed yourself to hard, he supposed. The Uchiha continued down the street, careful to avoid one place that lingered in his mind. He was careful to make sure the said restaurant he was avoiding as at the other end of the neighborhood. It still didn't stop him from bumping into some unwanted company.

"Hello, Sasuke," said a light voice. He raised his eyes from the ground and saw that a tall man with half his face covered in a mask hovered over him. Any other man that went by this description would probably expected to mug you for your wallet, but in this case Sasuke knew that his sensei's wallet was probably still full of the money he didn't use to pay for other people's dinners when he said _'my treat'_.

"Hn," he replied mechanically, hoping his sensei would just pass him by. He had no such luck, and Kakashi stopped right in front of him.

"You've been training?" Kakashi asked, raising an eyebrow over his one visible eyes. "Well, I didn't expect any less."

"Hn" Sasuke certainly wasn't contributing to the conversation, and Kakashi wasn't to sure how to end it. The silver hair jonin peered around him, searching for one of those off-the-topic conversation starters one can find just by looking around. He thought of making a comment how the weather, but that never earned a winning reputation.

"Ah, how about I treat you to dinner, you really do look exhausted. It's on me." He smirked when Sasuke made a skeptical sound, and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"No thanks," Sasuke declined, as Kakashi expected he would.. "I think you said that last time, then left Naruto and Sakura to pay for the bill." To his confusion, the man started laughing. It made him slightly uncomfortable, so he glared until the jonin stopped and fixed a mirthful eye on his one student.

"You know why I did that, didn't you?" Sasuke shook his head slightly. "Oh, you don't. See, I figured you would leave early, and I thought it would be beneficial to give them some alone time. Especially with the way they've been acting, I thought they needed some time away from you."

Ordinary Sasuke would have took some offence, and made an equally sharp retort. Under the context, however, he felt more important issues were behind his words. "Wait, what? So.. you _knew?"_

"Knew what?" Kakashi asked. "All I knew is that they had something going on, maybe a competition? Over you, I'm sure. It was obvious from the beginning. I'm going to leave you now, I have things to do, books to buy." With those words of departure, he walked away leaving Sasuke confused and irritated.

_So even Kakashi knew before I did,_ he thought bitterly, _And he was trying to get those two together._ He had no idea why that last thought irked him, but it did. A lot... A lot more than he cared to admit to himself. Damn Kakashi-within a minute his mood had managed to transform from exhausted to irritated, annoyed, bitter and still exhausted.

Still walking, his eyes lingered on a small restaurant, which reminded him further of Naruto and Sakura and their annoyances. The door of the restaurant opened. A few people came out. They looked a bit familiar...

He had a feeling there would be an end to the tragic irony that stained his life.

"Sasuke? Is that SASUKE?!" a high pitched voiced asked, followed by another one.

"Sakura, what are you talking about-TEME?! DAMN IT!"

"Naru-hey, stop! He looks exhausted! We have to help him!

"No, we have to kill him!"

"HEY! HEYYY! SASUKE, WAIT UP!"

The bitter feeling melted away as doubled his effort to limp away even faster, feeling the shadows of his friends gaining up on him.

**End!**

**First thing**: I'm sorry, I tried to make a NaruSaku moment and I don't feel like it came out so good. SasuSaku I can do, NaruSaku kills me! I still tried, so hopefully it left you at least a little satisfied, no? I hope the ending was somewhat to you liking, it was hard. No obvious pairing, right?

**Now...**

THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED OR READ! OR BOTH! I really appreciate it a lot; since I went onto for a little while, posted a story and got like zero reviews, I really learned to appreciate reviewers. gives me a ton! Thank you so much.

**If you're said this ended...**

You might also like my other fics; _In Your Ninja Gear_, or _Sex-Ed_ are some good choices.

Also if you're interested on I have an orginal story under the username Nice Aerial.

And-I doubt any here will be able to help you NARUSAKU fans, you! But if you have a SasuSaku prompt you want to see written I'll do it!

**That's it! Peace out!**


End file.
